Allah says in Sura Tawbah (repentance) Ayat No. 109: "There is a mosque whosefoundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth(for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and God loveth those whomake themselves pure."

Qoba Mosque

AI-Bukhari and AI-Nisai, the two reliable hadith narrators, said: "Prophet Muhammad
used to come to Qoba Mosque every Saturday either riding or walking."

A hadith of the Prophet told by AI-Tirmidhi quoting Osaid ibn Hudhair AI -Ansari
says," A prayer at Qoba Mosque is equivalent to an Umrah (minor pilgrimage)."

Ibn Majah and Ibn Shibah, another two hadith narrators, quoted the Prophet as
saying, "A man who makes his ablution at home and then comes to Qoba Mosque for
prayer, he will be entitled to a recompense similar to that of an Umrah."

AI-Bukhari also said, "Salim, the slave of AI-Hudhaifa, used to lead prayer of the
first Muhajireen (migrants) including Abu Bakr AI-Siddiq and Omar ibn AI-Khattab at
Qoba Mosque." About this man (Salim), the Prophet said 'Take the Qur'an from four
persons; Salim is one of them."

The construction of the Mosque

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) arrived at the village of Qoba in his
blessed Hijra (migration), he stayed for several days with Bani Amr ibn Auf. During
this time he built the Qoba Mosque which is the first mosque "whose foundation was
laid down from the first day on piety."
He personally carried stones, rocks and sand with his companions for the
construction work.

AI-Tabarani quoted AI-Shimous Bint AI-Nuaman as saying, "I saw the Prophet
when he constructed this mosque. He used to carry stones and rocks on his back until
it was bent. I also saw dust on his dress and belly. But when one of his companions
would come to take the load off him, he would say no and ask the companion to go
and carry a similar load instead."

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led the first group prayer from Qoba
Mosque when AI-Aqsa Mosque in AI-Quds (Jerusalem) was the Qibla at that time.

Those who renovated and enlarged the Qoba Mosque

The third Muslim Caliph Osman ibn Affan renovated the mosque and expanded its
area.
Omar ibn Abdul Aziz, govemor of Madina during the Omayyad rule in 91-93 H
(711-713 A.D.) also did the same. He, for the first time, built minarets and balconies in
the mosque and decorated it with mosaic and made the roof with iron bars instead of
tree branches and leaves.

Abu Yala AI-Hussaini renovated the mosque in 435 H (1045 AD.). Among those
who also renovaled the Qoba Mosque was Jamaluddin AI-Asfahani, the chief minister
of Bani Zanki who were the rulers of Musil, in 555 H (1162 AD.) and in 671 H (1275
AD.).

In the year 1406H (1985) King Fahd ordered that Qoba Mosque be expanded to
accommodate more worshipers. The assignment was given to Binladin Establishment
which is now run by the sons of Muhammad Binladin, the contractor, who
expanded the Prophet's Mosque during the time of King Abdul Aziz.
The expansion was completed and in the year 1407H (1986). King Fahd
inaugurated the new expanded mosque.
The total area of the mosque under the new enlargement has become 6,100
square meters with an open space in front of the mosque of 4,000 meters. The
previous area was 1,225 meters.
The mosque which previously had one minaret now has four in addition to six
domes. About 90 lavatories were constructed in addition to houses for the imam,
muazzin and other workers.
The Islamic architecture of the mosque was preserved in new expansion which cost
more than SR90 million.

Qoba Mosque after The King Fahad's expansion and renovation.

In the year 877 H (1475 A.D.), the minaret of the mosque collapsed and Sultan
Qaitabai rebuilt it four years later.

The present construction

Jaafar Hashim, a reliable historian, said the present construction of the mosque
was made by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmoud Khan in 1240H (1824 AD.).

Location and area

The mosque is located at Qoba village, three kilometers to the south of Madina. It is
square-shaped and total area is 1225 square meters. It has 30 pillars and its nave is
directed to the north.

The pulpit of the mosque

In 888 H (1486 AD.), AI-Ashraf Qaitabai sent a marble pulpit to the mosque from
Egypt. In 998 H (1593 AD.), the Ottoman Sultan Murad also sent a pulpit to Qoba
Mosque.
The Ottoman pulpit was later moved to the Prophet's Mosque where it still exists
and the Qaitabai's marble pulpit was once again reinstated in its old place in Qoba
where it is still there.

The Qaitabi's pulpit sent for the Prophet's Mosque in 888H (1486). It was later shiftedto Qoba Mosque. During the expansion made by King Fahd the pulpit was removedand placed as a historic relic at King Abdul Aziz Library in Madina.[/I]

The Prophet's praying place in the mosque

The present niche in Qoba Mosque is not the place where Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) used to pray.
According to AI-Samhoudi and Ibn Laila, the Prophet's praying place in Qoba
Mosque was to the eastern side of the defected column which is in the line of pillars
immediately placed after the present niche.
The Prophet's praying place before the change of the Qibla from the Aqsa to the
Kaaba was near the third column in the open space when one enters the mosque
through its second door. (in the past this door opened towards the courtyard of the
house of Saad ibn Khaitham. ) The third column is also opposite to the defected
column.

Visiting the mosque

Pilgrims who come to Madina before or after Haj, usually visit Qoba Mosque. Such
a visit revives in the heart of a Muslim the memories of the Prophet's blessed Hijra
and his struggle to spread Islam.